LONDON: School children aged between 12 and 15 years will be offered the first dose of Pfizer / Bionech Covid-19 vaccine starting next week, the British government has announced after the country’s medical officers gave them forward to shift the younger age group.
The Ministry of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said on Monday night that ministers had received advice from four major British medical heads (CMOS) and National Health Services (NHS) are now preparing to provide a school-based vaccination program.
This will be based on what the NHS says is the “successful model” of those used for vaccinations including HPV and Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP), supported by general practitioners (GPS) and public pharmacies.
“I have received recommendations from the head of medical officers to expand vaccinations to those aged 12 to 15-15 – protecting young people from capturing Covid-19, reducing transmission in schools and keeping students in class,” said British Health Secretary Javid Sajid .
“I am very grateful for the expert advice that I have received from the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) and British Medical Officer Head.
Our extraordinary NHS is ready to move forward by launching a vaccine into this group with the same taste.
Urgency We have at every point in our vaccination program, “he said.
The approval of parents, guardians or caregivers will be sought after vaccination health staff before vaccination in accordance with the existing school vaccination program.
Healthy school children aged 12 to 15 years will receive their Covid-19 vaccination in their school with alternative provisions for those who are homeschooled, in safe services or specialist mental health arrangements.
Under the 16s is not automatically considered competent legally to make decisions about their health care and, therefore, whether they must be given a covid-19 vaccine.
However, the British court has stated that under 16 years will be competent to provide legitimate approval for certain interventions if they have enough “understanding and intelligence to fully understand what is proposed”, referred to as Gillick’s competence.
DHSC said that Gillick’s test stated that if a child under the age of 16 had enough understanding and intelligence to understand what was proposed, care and care could be given without parental approval.
If a child is considered incompetent to give approval for themselves, approval must be sought from someone with the responsibility of parents for the Covid vaccine.
DHSC said that in line with independent JCVI recommendations, the government had searched for the view of the English CMOS on a broader problem that was relevant to the health of children.
On Monday, CMOS confirmed their decision to support the vaccination of younger age groups – expand the launch of the current 16 years and above the criteria for the Covid vaccine in the UK.
According to the official NHS data, more than four of the five adults in the UK have received a dose of Covid-19 vaccine, with more than half of it 16 and 17 years ago for their first jab.